LOS ANGELES : Friend of Suspects Shot After Bungled Car Theft

A teen-ager shot by a man who apparently thought the victim was trying to help two other people steal his car was in critical condition Friday.

Thursday night’s shooting occurred the same day that prosecutors decided against filing murder charges against Enrique Agraz, 52. He shot and killed two suspected car burglars, in separate incidents, who tripped silent alarms in his apartment garage in the 900 block of Carondelet Street.

“Two suspects apparently tried to gain entry to a Buick Regal . . . (and) set off the alarm,” said Los Angeles Police Detective Roosevelt Joseph. “A man came out of his residence and yelled at them, then went back inside and came out with a gun. He chased after them and fired two rounds, but missed them.”

The suspects went to a pay phone, called a friend and told him they needed to go back to their car, which was parked near the Buick, Joseph said. The friend showed up a few minutes later and took them to the car, Joseph said.

“They found that it had four flat tires and a window had been shot out. As they drove a couple of blocks away, a car pulled up, occupied by the man who had shot at them, and he fired, wounding the driver,” the detective said.